‘Early’ and ‘rare’ are still the buzz words when it comes to pub jugs and the day’s top seller had both these attributes.
At 51/2in (14cm) tall the white-glazed jug had a blue band below the rim and a black pictorial transfer to the front advertising Gaelic Old Smugglers Whisky.
Bar some slight crazing the jug was in good condition and as a rare and highly desirable early piece, it went at £950.
Another rare piece was a white-glazed, blue-rimmed jug. advertising John Begg’s Whisky. Standing 51/4in (13cm) high. it had a black pictorial transfer to the front and back went over estimate at £670.
Guinness memorabilia remained buoyant with showcards attracting the bulk of the interest. One 12in by 6in (30 x 15cm) laminated stand-up example, with two glasses of stout, the familiar zoo keeper, and Guinness animals and the slogan Guinness For Strength, brought £300.
Other Guinness successes included a 12in (30cm) high toucan ceramic lamp base at £220 and a ceramic wall hanging flying toucan balancing two glasses of Guinness on his beak at £120.
BBR Auctions, Elsecar
May 13
Buyer’s premium: 10 per cent
Collectors look for age in their whisky jugs
UK: With a sale total of £30,256 for 442 lots of ‘breweriana’, Alan Blakeman of BBR Auctions chalked up yet another niche market success on May 13.
